Rev 3:8 (KJV) I know thy works: behold,
I have set before thee an open door, and no
man can shut it: for thou hast a little
strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not
denied my name.God has
promised a special “open door” to the faithful
Christians of the Philadelphia church in
Revelation. This open door is the promised
Pretribulation Rapture that will keep these
faithful Christians from the “hour of
temptation.”Rev 3:10 (KJV) Because thou hast kept
the word of my patience, I also will keep thee
from the hour of temptation, which shall come
upon all the world, to try them that dwell
upon the earth.A few verses
later in Revelation 4:1 the Apostle John looks
up and sees this open door into heaven.Rev 4:1 (KJV) After this I looked, and,
behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the
first voice which I heard was as it were of a
trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up
hither, and I will show thee things which must
be hereafter.

This is the
Pretribulation Rapture of the church as seen
by the great majority of Christians today, but
most overlook that this open door was promised
only to the faithful Philadelphia Christians.
Other Christians such as those in the church
of Thyatira are told that they will be cast
“into great tribulation” if they do not
repent. They do not receive the open door:Rev 2:22 (KJV) Behold, I will cast
her into a bed, and them that commit
adultery with her into great tribulation,
except they repent of their deeds.

The timing of
the Rapture is one of the most controversial
issues in the Church today. The student of Bible
prophecy should ask himself why so many faithful
Christians believe in a Midtribulation Rapture
if the Pretribulation Rapture of the entire
Church is the correct view. The answer is simply
that there are Scriptures that confirm a
Midtribulation Rapture. Christians on both sides
of the issue fail to consider that the Bible
teaches both a Pretribulation Rapture and a
Midtribulation Rapture.It is
interesting that the pretribulation rapturists
expend great efforts in trying to rebut the
Scriptures that confirm a Midtribulation
Rapture, and the midtribulation rapturists do
the same thing with the Scriptures that confirm
a Pretribulation Rapture. An honest and
forthright exposition of Scripture reveals
teachings for both. The Firstfruits Rapture
(i.e., the taking out of faithful, mature,
Philadelphia Christians) is pretribulational,
and the Main Harvest Rapture (i.e., the final
taking out of the remaining Christians who have
been refined and purified by the tribulation) is
midtribulational. This is confirmed both
doctrinally and typologically throughout the
Scriptures, as will be seen.

The Pretribulation
Rapture is the most popular view held in the
Church today, but popularity is not an accurate
measure of Scriptural truth. If popularity
determines truth, then we should all convert to
Islam, since that is the fastest growing
religion in the world today. The very popularity
of the sole Pretribulation Rapture mitigates
against its truth. The fact that
pretribulationists refuse to take a close look
at the Scriptures on the rapture should also
raise a warning flag for sincere seekers of
truth from the Word of God.Perhaps one of
the reasons the Pretribulation Rapture is the
most popular view is that it requires the least
accountability in living the Christian life. It
is very comforting for the average Christian to
believe that he can sit back and enjoy the
pleasures of life and dabble in the things of
the world, while all the time believing that he
will be miraculously removed before any hard
times or persecution sets in during the
tribulation. Any teaching that Christians might
experience hardship, persecution or maybe even
martyrdom is resisted by the majority of
Christians today. It is difficult for Christians
to understand that our present comfort is not
the primary goal of our heavenly Father, in
accordance with the following Scripture:1 Pet 1:7 (KJV) That the trial of your
faith, being much more precious than of gold
that perisheth, though it be tried with fire,
might be found unto praise and honour and
glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

God the Father
promised to meet all of our physical needs if we
seek the Kingdom of God (i.e., the millennial
kingdom) (Matt. 6:33), but the Scriptures are
replete with examples of faithful followers of
Christ suffering the most horrible circumstances
imaginable. The first news that Paul received
after his conversion was that he was going to
have to suffer a great deal for the sake of
Jesus Christ. The Church in America today does
not really grasp what suffering is all about,
and many consider it suffering to drive a used
car and live in a modest house.Prosperity is a
difficult test that God has provided for the
Church in America, and the great majority of
Christians are failing miserably and pastors are
among the casualties. Some are even preaching a
gospel of prosperity, which states that
financial success is a sign of being a faithful
Christian. This false doctrine is so far removed
from what the Scriptures teach that no rebuttal
is necessary. The primary point to be made is
that the Church is not exempt from persecution
and hardship. In fact, the Lord even allows the
ones He loves the most to go through fiery
trials in order to purify them and increase
their heavenly rewards.In the final
analysis, Christians will be ever so thankful to
the Lord Jesus Christ for the three and one-half
years of suffering during the tribulation after
they see the rewards for faithfulness that will
be received at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The
tribulation will be a final period of refining
and purifying for those Christians who have not
allowed themselves to be cleansed and purified
during the present time.The truth is
that only a small segment of Christians are
preparing themselves for the coming of the Lord
Jesus Christ. The majority of the Church is
concerned with building large churches with
gymnasiums, plush seats, carpets, stained glass
windows and numerous other superficial
accoutrements designed to impress our fellow
Christians and other local churches. This
describes the church age called Laodicea in
Revelation 3:14-19. In verse 20 Jesus says He
stands and knocks at their door, but most
Christians do not open their door to Him. Jesus
Christ rejects this church at the Firstfruits
Rapture. The Philadelphia church, however, is
given an “open door” in verse 8, and this is the
Firstfruits Rapture. The Sardis church and the
church of Thyatira will also be rejected by
Jesus Christ at the Firstfruits Rapture.

Faithful Christians
can see why the Pretribulation Rapture is so
popular, since the largest segment of
Christianity today is made up of Christians in
churches typified by Sardis, Thyatira, and
Laodicea. Sardis is represented in the world
today by the Protestant churches, Thyatira is
represented by the Catholic churches and
offshoots from the Catholic Church, and Laodicea
is represented by the charismatic and
Pentecostal churches. Philadelphia is
represented by the numerous but small and weak
home churches. Christians in Sardis, Thyatira
and Laodicea are the unwatchful, the doctrinally
weak, the backslidden and the lukewarm
Christians who are opposed to any suggestion
that faithfulness will be the criterion for
reward, let alone a special rapture prior to the
tribulation. Pointing out the numerous
Scriptures that clearly depict a Firstfruits
Rapture is not convincing to many lukewarm
Christians, since searching the Scriptures to
see if these things are true is not a part of
their lifestyle. They simply quote the
Scriptures that point to a Pretribulation
Rapture and glibly say that salvation is by
grace and not works. For them, everything good
in the Bible is for the saved, and everything
bad is for the lost. They even use
Revelation 3:10 as a proof text for the
Pretribulation Rapture, but they overlook that
the promise of being “kept from the hour of
trial” is only directed to the faithful
Philadelphia Christians (Rev 3:7). The churches
of Laodicea, Sardis and Thyatira are often
labeled as mere professing Christians, tares,
the false church or some other tag that
relegates them to the ranks of the lost. The
fact that Jesus himself clearly identifies these
groups of believers as part of his Church
apparently makes little difference.In
consideration of the above, this is not written
to the great majority of unteachable Christians
who have their minds made up, and are not really
interested in searching the Scriptures for the
meat of the Word. This is written to Christians
who are open to the Word and who are hungry to
learn. The reader should study and pray for
understanding about what the Scriptures have to
say about the rapture of the Church. The Bible
is the only test for the truths in this message
and ignorance of the Bible will not be an excuse
at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Not a New Idea

Many of the great
men of God in the Philadelphia church age of the
18th and 19th centuries understood and taught
the doctrine of the Firstfruits Rapture.
They were men like J. Hudson Taylor, founder of
the China Inland Mission, Dr. A. B. Simpson,
founder of the Christian and Missionary
Alliance, John Wilkinson, founder of the Mildmay
Mission to the Jews, and Joseph A. Seiss, one of
the greatest prophecy scholars who ever lived.
Dr. Seiss’ book on the apocalypse is the classic
on the book of Revelation, and is quoted by
virtually every Bible scholar who has written a
book on Revelation. Once the doctrine of
Firstfruits Rapture has been explained in detail
to a person who is truly desirous of knowing
what the Scriptures teach, that person is
typically converted to a belief in the phased
rapture of the Church. The teaching is clear.The remainder
of this article will be presented in three
sections with the first section providing an
exegesis (i.e., interpretation) of the
Scriptures addressing the rapture. The
second section will present the argument from a
typological standpoint of the Old Testament. The
third section will address the criticisms from
some of the more famous prophetic scholars of
what they call the “partial rapture theory.” The
term partial
rapture is not appropriate for
describing the Firstfruits Rapture, since it
implies that only a portion of the Church will
be raptured. The term phased rapture is
more descriptive, since the entire Church will
be raptured in two phases. This section will
point out how the opponents of the Firstfruits
Rapture use the straw man as a technique in
their attempts to refute the phased rapture
position.Section I—Why a
Special Rapture?An excellent
starting place for pretribulation rapturists to
understand the concept of the Firstfruits
Rapture is the variety of resurrections and
raptures in the Bible. Enoch and Elijah were
both translated into heaven without seeing
death. The Head of the Church, Jesus Christ, has
already been resurrected and is currently in
heaven performing his function as our High
Priest (Heb. 3:1-2). These easily understood
truths pave the way for a more detailed
understanding of the two phases in the rapture
of the Church.

The doctrine of the
Firstfruits Rapture is closely related to the
doctrines of Grace and Works. The doctrine of
Grace pertains to the salvation of the spirit,
and the legal term justification is the
most descriptive term of what took place at the
moment of salvation. Positional
sanctification has also been used to describe
the believer’s position in Christ as a saved
individual. By contrast, the doctrine of Works
is related to the believer’s spiritual growth
and maturity, and the most frequently used term
for this process is sanctification or progressive
sanctification. 1 Peter 1:9 calls this
progressive sanctification the “salvation of the
soul.”2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to
“rightly divide” the Word. The difference
between Grace and Works is one of the most
fundamental divisions in Scripture. By grace
our spirits are saved by faith in Christ. We
then have positional sanctification. Our souls
are being saved by obedience to Christ. We are
being progressively sanctified. This
progressive sanctification will determine our
reward and final standing in the Kingdom of
God. The following Scriptures refer to this
process of progressive sanctification:Phil 1:6 (KJV) Being confident of this
very thing, that he which hath begun a good
work in you will perform it until the day of
Jesus Christ:1 Peter 4:19 (KJV) Wherefore let them
that suffer according to the will of God
commit the keeping of their souls to Him in
well doing as unto a Faithful Creator.James 1:21 (KJV) Wherefore lay apart
all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness,
and receive with meekness the engrafted word,
which is able to save your souls.

The biggest
question in this process of sanctification is
the cooperativeness
of the believer. Those Christians who
cooperate with the Holy Spirit in their
progressive sanctification will receive greater
reward. Those Christians who are uncooperative
will lose their reward and will suffer great
anguish at the Judgment Seat of Christ because
of their shame and the contempt of the Lord
Jesus Christ. An excellent analogy from
Scripture is Peter when he wept bitterly when
the Lord Jesus Christ gave him a soul-piercing
look of judgment after Peter had denied the Lord
three times. The Firstfruits
Rapture can probably best be described as a
special entrance into heaven before the trials
of the tribulation start. It is an exemption
from the final exam for those Christians who
have already demonstrated their Christian
maturity during the course of this life. The
following Scriptures describe this exemption:2 Peter 1:10-11 (KJV) Wherefore the
rather, brethren, give diligence to make your
calling and election sure: for if you do these
things, ye shall never fall: 11 For so an
entrance shall be ministered unto you
abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.Luke 21:36 (KJV) Watch ye therefore,
and pray
always, that ye may be accounted
worthy to escape all these things that shall
come to pass, and to stand before the Son of
man.In the 2 Peter
1:10-11 passage we see again a reference to an
“entrance” or door offered to those mature
Christians who “give diligence” as characterized
by the Philadelphia Church. Luke 21:29-36 is a
scripture addressed to the Church. This
Scripture is an exhortation for believers to
pray that they would be accounted worthy to
escape all seven years of the tribulation. The
word “watch” refers specifically to a state of
readiness or preparation for the Lord’s return.
Christians
today should be watching for the return of the
Lord, and they should be praying to be accounted
worthy of the Firstfruits Rapture. It is
doubtful that many Christians are following this
exhortation from the Lord Himself. It is the
height of arrogance to assume that one will
automatically be accounted as worthy to escape
the tribulation. Even Paul said he was “pressing
toward the mark for the prize of the high
calling” in Philippians 3:14. The following
Scripture describes the Firstfruits Rapture of
the watchful Christian, but it is often
misinterpreted as referring to a saved and an
unsaved individual:

Mat 24:40-42 (KJV) Then shall two be in
the field; the one shall be taken, and the
other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at
the mill; the one shall be taken, and the
other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know
not what hour your Lord doth come.This Scripture
is in the Christian section of the Olivet
Discourse, and it is a warning to Christians
that they need to be in a state of readiness if
they are to participate in the Firstfruits
Rapture of the Church. This Scripture is not an
exhortation to get saved for the rapture. It is
a warning to believers to get ready so they will
be taken with the Firstfruits. Verse 42 confirms
the subjects of the warning. It is absurd to
think that this warning is to depraved
unbelievers, since it would be an exhortation to
watch for someone whom they believe is dead,
buried and returned to dust.The Ten VirginsThe parable of
the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 is one of the
clearest proof texts for the Firstfruits
Rapture. The text is as follows:Mat 25:1-13 (KJV) Then shall the
kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins,
which took their lamps, and went forth to meet
the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise,
and five were foolish. 3 They that were
foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with
them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels
with their lamps.5 While the bridegroom
tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And
at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the
bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed
their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the
wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are
gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not
so; lest there be not enough for us and you:
but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy
for yourselves. 10 And while they went
to buy, the bridegroom came; and they
that were ready went in with him to the
marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward
came also the other virgins, saying, Lord,
Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said,
Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day
nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

The ten virgins
represent the entire Church. The number ten is
the number of ordinal completion, so it
represents all of whatever is in question. The
term virgin is in reference to the Church rather
than Israel, since Israel is pictured as the
adulterous wife of God the Father. See the book
of Hosea, which pictures the history of the
nation of Israel.Verse 5 above
is grossly mistranslated from the original
manuscripts. The correct translation is as
follows:Matthew 25:5 (Literal Translation)
While the bridegroom tarried, they all
beckoned or slept.The Greek word
incorrectly translated “slumbered” is the word nustazo (noos-tad'-zo),
and it literally means to nod, beckon, or signal
for something to occur. Christians beckon for
Jesus to return every time they say “Maranatha”,
which means “Come! Lord Jesus.”The Greek word
translated “and” is the word kai
(kahee). It is a copulative or coordinating
conjunction that can be continuative or
adversative. Since the words it connects are
adversative (i.e., beckoning or sleeping), the
correct translation is “or”. Therefore, verse 5
confirms that the entire Church “beckoned or
slept,” and this means that the entire Church
was divided between those looking and beckoning
for the Return of the Lord, and those who had
fallen asleep. The doctrine of the Second Coming
was lost to the main body of the Church during
the Pergamum church age after 312 A.D., and it
was not revived until the Philadelphia church
age in the eighteenth century. The end-time
Sardis or Protestant church is unwatchful (Rev.
3:3) and is definitely asleep with respect to
the Return of the Lord for his bride. All ten virgins
had oil in their lamps, which is a picture of
the indwelling Holy Spirit. Unbelievers are not
indwelled by the Holy Spirit. All ten virgins
trimmed their lamps, and this is a picture of
getting sin out of the life through confession
and turning from sin (1 John 1:9). All ten
virgins had their lamps burning, and this is a
picture of the outward confession of faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ. The Scriptures could not
be any clearer that the ten virgins represent
born again, blood-bought, justified Christians,
but there is a division between the foolish and
the wise.

The only difference
between the five wise virgins and the five
foolish virgins is the extra measure of oil,
signifying maturity, which the wise virgins took
with them. The abundance of oil represents
the overflowing presence of the Holy Spirit in
the lives of the five wise virgins. They are
Christians who are continually filled or
controlled by the Holy Spirit. The five wise
virgins have matured in the faith, and they have
advanced greatly in their progressive
sanctification.It is important
to note that in the original Greek the lamps of
the five foolish virgins were “going out”—not
“gone out”—and the five wise virgins told the
foolish virgins to “go ye rather to them that
sell, and buy for yourselves.” This clearly
teaches that the extra measure of oil is related
to works, since it had to be bought. Grace can
not be bought. The indwelling Holy Spirit is a
free gift of grace, but the filling of the Holy
Spirit is clearly a work involving our
submission to the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16-18).
The five wise virgins had made preparation for
the coming of the Bridegroom, and they were
given the open door. The five foolish virgins
had not prepared themselves, and they were
turned away.Verse 10 is a
clear and concise description of the Firstfruits
Rapture of those Christians who had prepared
themselves for the coming of the Bridegroom. The
Bridegroom came while the foolish virgins were
out buying oil. The wise virgins went in with
him to the marriage, and the door was shut.

The reference to
“the door” is the same door that is promised to
the Philadelphia Christians in Revelation 3:7-8,
and that John saw in heaven in Revelation 4:1.
The twenty-four elders and the four living
creatures in Revelation 4:4-6 represent the same
group of Christians as the five wise virgins and
the Philadelphia church. This is the
Pretribulation Rapture of mature, progressively
sanctified believers. These are the ones who
have “renewed their minds” with the mind of
Christ according to Romans 12:2.Verse 11
confirms that the five foolish virgins came to
Jesus later calling Him “Lord, Lord,” and asked
Him to open the door to them. Jesus stated that
He did not know (i.e., recognize) them. Jesus
then summarizes the parable with a warning to
“Watch therefore; for ye know neither the day
nor the hour wherein the Son of man
cometh.” The lesson of this parable is for
Christians to be alert and prepared for the
Second Coming of Jesus, so they will be able to
go into the wedding. The necessary preparation
is to be filled with or controlled by the Holy
Spirit day by day and moment by moment. One of
the primary signs of a maturing believer is a
daily watching for the return of Jesus Christ.
Worldly believers are busy with their own plans
and life goals. Mature Christians need to be
faithful to the Lord and consciously looking for
His return.

Two Raptures Prophesied in the FeastsAnother
important teaching tool from the Bible that will
help explain the two phases of the rapture is
the seven feasts of God in Leviticus 23. The
type of the harvest is probably the clearest
presentation of the Firstfruits Rapture, since
it involves degrees of maturity and successive
reapings. In addition to providing an outline of
what the Christian life should be, the seven
feasts of God provide a prophetic overview of
God’s redemptive plan for mankind. The seven
feasts are a clear presentation of this type.
The following chart provides a brief overview of
the feasts that the Jewish nation celebrates to
this day:

Feast

Scripture
Reference

Prophetic
Fulfillment

#1 Passover

John 12:24

Death of Jesus--Seed Dies

#2 Unleavened Bread

John 6:51; 1 Cor 5:7-8

Burial of Jesus--Seed Planted

#3 Firstfruits

1 Cor 15:20

Resurrection of Jesus-Sheaf of Grain

#4 Pentecost-Day of Firstfruits

Luke 21:26, Rev 4:1

Firstfruits Rapture-Two Loaves with
Leaven

#5 Trumpets

1 Thess 4:16-17; 1 Cor 15:51-52 Rev.
7:9-17

Main Harvest Rapture-All Remaining
Christians Raptured

#6 Atonement

Dt. 4:30-31; Zec 12:10; Jer 8:20

Reaping of Corners-Israel Saved in
the Tribulation

#7 Tabernacles

Mt. 25:32

Gleaning-Gentiles Saved in the
Tribulation

Bible scholars have
been curious as to why there are two feasts that
celebrate Firstfruits. The Feast of
Firstfruits (Lev. 23:10-13) was
celebrated in the late spring by offering one
sheaf of the firstfruits of the harvest before
the Lord along with a meat (i.e., meal) offering
of unleavened bread and wine. Leaven in the
Bible has always been used to symbolize sin or
that which is evil or corrupting. Jesus lived a
sinless life, and He was resurrected from the
dead on this feast day as a fulfillment of
prophecy.The next feast
that the Israelites celebrated in early summer
was Pentecost, also called the Day of
Firstfruits. Pentecost was when the
Israelites could start eating the grain from
their field that had matured early. It was
celebrated by offering two loaves of bread baked
with leaven. “They are the Firstfruits
unto the Lord” (Lev. 23:17). This feast
represents the pretribulational rapture of
mature believers who, though forgiven, are not
sinless. These are the Philadelphia believers
“clothed in white raiment” who are given the
“open door” of the Firstfruits Rapture (Rev.
4:1-4).At the end of
summer, the next feast was the Feast of
Trumpets to celebrate the main harvest
when all believers in the Church will be raised
at the last trump. Now, all the grain has
matured from the heat of the summer sun. This
feast represents the main harvest of all
remaining believers who “have washed their
robes” and have matured during the trials of the
first half of the tribulation (Rev. 7:9-14).If the reader
can understand these three feasts, two
firstfruits and the main harvest, then he will
be able to clearly see that there is a
Firstfruits Harvest of the Church in addition to
the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the first of
the firstfruits. Jesus is the one sheaf of grain
offered without leaven, and the two loaves of
bread baked with leaven are the firstfruits of
the Church.The following
Scriptures are often used as arguments against
the Firstfruits Rapture since they clearly refer
to the entire Church being raptured. It is true
that these Scriptures are referring to the
entire Church still on the earth since
they are describing the Main Harvest Rapture of
the Church.1 Th 4:13-18 (KJV) But I would not have
you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them
which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as
others which have no hope. 14 For if we
believe that Jesus died and rose again, even
so them also which sleep in Jesus will God
bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by
the word of the Lord, that we which are alive andremain unto the
coming of the Lord shall not prevent them
which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself
shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trump
of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise
first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so
shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore
comfort one another with these words.1 Cor 15:51-52 (KJV) Behold, I show you
a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for
the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be
raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.Paul is
teaching about the Main Harvest Rapture in both
of these passages. In 1 Thessalonians 4:14 Paul
emphatically states that belief is all that is
required for this rapture of both dead and
living believers. The faithfulness of believers
is not the issue in focus here. Those that
understand the Firstfruits Rapture have no
problem with these verses, since all believers
who “remain” will be raptured regardless of
faithfulness in both of these passages of
Scripture.In 1
Thessalonians 4:15 & 17 above, Paul is
referring to the living believers who will be
translated without seeing death. The word alive
is sufficient to show that these believers are
not dead, but Paul adds another descriptive word
for these living believers. The Greek word is perileipo,
and it literally means to be left behind. This
word is almost universally understood as
referring to people who were left behind by the
ones who had died, but this is a redundancy,
since the word alive is sufficient to establish
that they are not dead. Since the word is
repeated in verse 17 after it has already been
stated in verse 15, the word carries a special
emphasis from the Holy Spirit. Not only are
these Christians alive, but they have been left
behind by other believers. In this Scripture,
Paul even alludes to the Firstfruits Rapture
when he is teaching about the Main Harvest
Rapture.Earlier in the
chapter Paul writes about the Thessalonians who
were faithful Christians and had the “work of
faith,” the “labor of love,” and the “patience
of hope.” Many of the Thessalonians were
candidates for the Firstfruits Harvest.
Unfortunately, there were also Christians in the
Church of Thessalonica who were caught up in the
sins of the flesh (1 Thess. 4:1-12). The
Thessalonians were concerned about these
relatives who were believers but had fallen away
to unfaithfulness and died. Paul was assuring
them that every believer would be resurrected
from the dead at the return of Jesus. It is a
truth that every Christian will be resurrected
or translated before the wrath of God falls on
the earth, and faithfulness is not a criterion
for this Main Harvest Rapture. Belief in Jesus
Christ is the only criterion for the Main
Harvest Rapture of the Church.It is important
to note in the above passage of Scripture on the
Main Harvest Rapture that Jesus “shall descend
from heaven” to rapture the Church. It will be
seen next in Revelation that “the open door”
rapture is directly into heaven. This is only
one of several significant differences between
the Firstfruits Rapture and the Main Harvest
Rapture. The Scriptures are just as clear about
the Firstfruits Rapture as they are about the
Main Harvest Rapture. The book of Revelation
provides a clear chronological sequence of both
raptures for those Christians who are willing to
understand the plain meaning of Scripture
without changing literal statements into
figurative language. There are also numerous
types depicting a Firstfruits Rapture of
faithful Christians.Firstfruits Rapture
in RevelationThe following
Scripture could not express the Firstfruits
Rapture any clearer:Rev 3:8 (KJV) I know thy works: behold,
I have set before thee an open door, and no
man can shut it: for thou hast a little
strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not
denied my name.Rev 3:10 (KJV) Because thou hast kept
the word of my patience, I also will keep thee
from the hour of temptation, which shall come
upon all the world, to try them that dwell
upon the earth.This Scripture
is addressed to the Philadelphia church, and it
clearly links works with the promise of being
kept “from the hour of temptation.” The other
three churches in existence at the time of the
return of Jesus were specifically excluded from
this promise to be kept from the hour of trial.
The only way to be kept from the hour of trial
is to be taken to heaven. It is one thing to be
protected or sealed from the persecution, but it
is an entirely different matter to be kept “from
the hour.” Removal from the earth is the
only way for this to be accomplished. After the
promise to the Philadelphia church in chapter 3,
John sees the fulfillment of the promise of an
“open door” in Revelation 4:1:Rev 4:1-2 (KJV) After this I looked,
and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and
the first voice which I heard was as it were
of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come
up hither, and I will show thee things which
must be hereafter. 2 And immediately I was in
the spirit; and, behold, a throne was set in
heaven, and one sat on the throne.It is important
to note in chapters 4 & 5 of Revelation that
two groups of redeemed individuals are now in
heaven around the throne of God. The 24 elders
are all wearing crowns and they are all seated
upon thrones. The four living creatures were in
the midst of the throne, demonstrating a more
intimate relationship to the Lamb than even the
24 elders. These 24 elders and 4 living
creatures are redeemed individuals who are in
heaven around the throne worshipping God at the
beginning of the seven-year tribulation period.
This clearly establishes a Pretribulation
Rapture of Christians, but it is equally clear
that all of these Christians have received
crowns and thrones. It is also clear that these
are the Philadelphia Christians who were
promised the open door. The Main Harvest Rapture
of the Church is described in detail in Rev.
7:9-17.Numerous other
Scriptures clearly establish that not all
Christians will receive crowns and thrones.
These Christians make up the churches of
Thyatira, Sardis and Laodicea, and these are the
churches that will go through the first three
and one-half years of the tribulation. Thyatira
was specifically told that she would be cast
into “great tribulation” (Rev. 2:22). Sardis was
told that she would not even know the hour that
Jesus had come (Rev. 4:3) because she had been
unwatchful. Watchfulness
is the same thing that Jesus cautioned
the ten virgins about, and it is not an
exhortation for unbelievers. The five foolish
virgins missed the opportunity of the “open
door,” and they faced a door that had been
closed. The five wise virgins went through the
open door before it was shut since they were
prepared.A careful and
prayerful study of the above texts should reveal
that the 24 elders and the four living creatures
(i.e., Christians worthy of crowns and thrones)
represent the five wise virgins and the
Philadelphia church. This is the Firstfruits
Harvest of faithful Christians who have prepared
themselves for the return of Jesus Christ. They
are the faithful Christians who have matured
early before the time of the hot summer sun
(i.e., the fires of the tribulation) which would
ripen or mature Christians for the Main Harvest
Rapture in the middle of the tribulation. This
period of ripening is not a punishment for
unfaithfulness, but it is an opportunity and a
blessing from God to allow the remainder of the
Church to be purged and purified, so they will
also receive reward and positions in the Kingdom
of God the Son. Three and one-half years of
persecution and refinement will be nothing
compared to the glory and reward for faithfully
enduring the time of testing. The period is not
a purgatory where a person works out or pays for
his sins so he can enter heaven. Each Christian
is guaranteed entrance into heaven based
strictly on his belief in the Lord Jesus Christ,
but he must work very hard to enter in at the
strait or narrow door. The tribulation has
nothing to do with earning spirit salvation, but
it has everything to do with earning reward in
the kingdom of heaven.Jesus counseled
the church of Laodicea “to buy of me gold tried
in the fire” and to “repent.” This is an
allusion to the tribulation period since Jesus
had already told them that he would reject them
because they were lukewarm (Rev. 3:16). In spite
of their apathy and indifference, Jesus loves
the Laodiceans, so He will rebuke and chasten
them during the three and one-half years of
tribulation. Jesus wants them to be “rich” and
to have “white raiment” (Rev. 3:18) to wear. The
term rich refers to spiritual rewards,
and the term white raiment refers to
reigning and ruling in the kingdom because of
righteous acts or righteous deeds (Rev 19:8).
Once a Christian has been raptured, he can no
longer perform any good works for the purpose of
reward. This is why a Christian can not buy gold
refined in the fire at the Judgment Seat of
Christ, but he can buy this gold during the
tribulation period.Chapters 5
& 6 of Revelation describe the scene in
heaven for the first three and one-half years of
the tribulation. It is during this time that the
four horsemen of the apocalypse wreak havoc on
the earth and one-fourth of the world population
dies because of war, famine and pestilence. The
seven seals do not represent or pertain to the
wrath of God. The first half of the tribulation
is the period in which Antichrist is given
complete authority over the earth without
intervention by God. The wrath of God is not
unleashed upon the earth until the middle of the
tribulation when the trumpet Judgments begin
(Rev. 6:16,17; 8:1ff).The
seven-sealed scroll is little understood by the
great majority of theologians. The dramatic
opening of the seven-sealed scroll is analogous
to a closing (i.e., the final steps of a legal
transaction where property is exchanging hands)
when a house has been purchased in today’s
economy. This has its type in the Old Testament
when a person would redeem another person or a
piece of property. Jesus has already paid the
purchase price for redeeming the earth from
Satan, but the closing has not yet taken place.
After Jesus has finished opening the
seven-sealed scroll—a strictly legal
transaction—in the middle of the tribulation, He
begins the process of taking possession of the
earth.Prior to moving
in and setting up His kingdom, Jesus is going to
do a little housecleaning for three and one-half
years in order to cleanse, disinfect, and remove
some of the pests that have accumulated during
the six thousand years that Satan has maintained
possession. First, Jesus is going to take out
the remainder of his heavenly family (i.e., the
remainder of the Church), and seal and protect
his earthly family (i.e., elect Jews and
Gentiles) before he thoroughly fumigates his
acquired property. Please excuse the slightly
humorous analogy, but this is a quick way to
explain a complex sequence of events.During the
opening of the seven-sealed scroll, Satan is not
thrilled about his future prospects. He knows
that Christians under the leadership of Jesus
Christ will be moving in to take over the rule
and reign of the earth. He also knows that he
only has 42 months left, so he takes his
vengeance out on the Church left from the
Firstfruits Rapture. When the Church is
completely removed in the middle of the
tribulation, Satan then turns his vengeance upon
God’s earthly people, the Jews. The last half of
the tribulation period is called the “time of
Jacob’s trouble”, since Satan spends his time
persecuting the Jews. At the end of the
tribulation, Satan gathers the armies of the
earth to fight against the Lion of the tribe of
Judah in his last attempt to prevent Jesus
Christ from taking over the earth. The result is
the battle of Armageddon, which is referred to
as the winepress of the wrath of God. It should
be no surprise that Jesus Christ on his white
horse wins this battle. Coining a phrase from
Saddam Hussein, the battle of Armageddon will
truly be the mother of all battles. One-third of
the world’s population will die in this battle.No Christian or
member of the Church will be on the earth during
the last half of the tribulation period. The
last half of the tribulation period is the Day
of the Lord. It is the time that God’s wrath
will be unleashed upon the earth in the trumpet
and vial judgments described in Revelation.
There will be saved people on the earth during
this terrible time of judgment from the Lord,
but they will be sealed and protected from the
judgments of God just like Noah was sealed in
the ark and protected from the judgment of the
flood. All saved people on the earth during this
time will have been saved during the tribulation
period. None are members of the Church and will
dwell upon the earth in bodies of flesh and
blood.“Falling Away” in
the Last Days2 Th 2:1-4 (KJV) Now we beseech you,
brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, and by our gathering together unto
him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or
be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word,
nor by letter as from us, as that the day of
Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by
any means: for that day shall not come, except
there come a falling away (i.e., apostasia)
first, and that man of sin be revealed, the
son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth
himself above all that is called God, or that
is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in
the temple of God, showing himself that he is
God.The Greek word
apostasia (ap-os-tas-ee'-ah)
translated
“falling
away”
is
used
twice
in
the
New
Testament
in
the feminine gender. Its other use is in Acts
21:21 and it is translated “to forsake.”
The word means departure, taking away, or
separation. The best translation for apostasia
in the context of the above Scripture is
“separation”. Thus, this passage of Scripture
simply states that the day of the Lord cannot
occur until the separation takes place and the
man of sin, Antichrist, is revealed and sets
himself up in the temple and claims to be god.
The Greek word translated “Christ” is Kurios (koo'-ree-os),
and is correctly translated as Lord.The sequence of
events is that the separation (i.e., Firstfruits
Rapture) will take place, the Antichrist will be
revealed, and then three and one-half years
later he will set himself up in the temple and
claim to be god. It is at the time that
Antichrist sets himself up in the temple that
marks the beginning of the Day of the Lord upon
the earth. This is the time that the Seventh
Seal is opened and the judgments and wrath of
God are unleashed upon the earth. This is also
the time that the Main Harvest Rapture takes
place. The Church must all be in heaven before
the seventh seal is broken, and the trumpet
judgments of God begin upon the earth. The
opening of the seven seals is not the judgments
of God. It is during the opening of the seals
that Antichrist is given unchecked authority
upon the earth, so any hint of God’s judgment
would be against equity and good conscience on
the part of God. Jesus Christ was given 42
months authority upon the earth for his
ministry, and Antichrist will be given 42 months
of authority, as confirmed in the following
Scripture:(Rev 13:5 KJV) And there was
given unto him (i.e., Antichrist) a mouth
speaking great things and blasphemies; and
power was given unto him to continue forty and
two months.The above
sequence of events is why mature Christians
should not be looking for the revealing of the
Antichrist. He will not be revealed until after
the Firstfruits Rapture takes place, so the hope
of the Christian is to be gone at the time
Antichrist is revealed. This does not mean
Christians cannot know the identity of
Antichrist, since numerous prophecies will be
fulfilled about him before he is revealed. God
gave a detailed description of him, so
Christians could identify him and prepare
themselves even more for the Firstfruits
Rapture.
Unfortunately, most Christians are not anxious
for Jesus Christ to return, and they are unwatchful.
The Bible prophesied this as the condition of
the Church at the time of the return of Jesus
Christ for the Firstfruits. The word firstfruits
means hasty fruit or that fruit which matures
early. The great majority of the remainder of
the Church will be ready for the Main Harvest
Rapture by the time it happens in the middle of
the tribulation. The persecutions of the
tribulation period will do wonders in the
sanctification of those members of the Church
who are left on the earth for the express
purpose of maturing in the faith. The following
Old Testament passage of Scripture in Daniel
describes how these Christians are turned over
to Antichrist for three and one-half years.The Main Harvest
Rapture Prophesied in DanielDan 7:25 (KJV) And he (i.e.,
Antichrist) shall speak great words against
the most High, and shall wear out the saints
of the most High, and think to change times
and laws: and they shall be given into his
hand until a time and times and the dividing
of time (i.e., 1+2+1/2 = 3 ½ years).Many
theologians teach this is referring to Jews, but
the verses that follow prove that these “saints”
are Christians, since the Church is the one that
will receive the kingdom of the heavens and
reign with Jesus Christ:Dan 7:27 (KJV) And the kingdom and
dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom
under the whole heaven, shall be given to the
people of the saints of the most High, whose
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all
dominions shall serve and obey him.The kingdom of
heaven was taken away from the Jews after they
had rejected Jesus Christ, according to the
following Scripture:Mat 21:43 (KJV) Therefore say I unto
you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from
you (i.e., the Jews), and given to a nation
(i.e., the Church) bringing forth the fruits
thereof.The references
to saints in the following Scriptures in Daniel
are also referring to Christians for the same
reason:Dan 7:18 (KJV) But the saints of the
most High shall take the kingdom, and possess
the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.Dan 7:21 (KJV) I beheld, and the same
horn made war with the saints, and prevailed
against them;Dan 7:22 (KJV) Until the Ancient of
days came, and judgment was given to the
saints of the most High; and the time came
that the saints possessed the kingdom.The book of
Daniel does refer to Jews, but they are referred
to as “thy people” according to the following
Scriptures:Dan 9:15-16 (KJV) And now, O Lord our
God, that hast brought thy people forth out of
the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast
gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have
sinned, we have done wickedly.16 O Lord, according to all thy
righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger
and thy fury be turned away from thy city
Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our
sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers,
Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach
to all that are about us.Dan 9:19 (KJV) O Lord, hear; O Lord,
forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not,
for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and
thy people are called by thy name.Dan 9:24 (KJV) Seventy weeks are
determined upon thy people and upon thy holy
city, to finish the transgression, and to make
an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for
iniquity, and to bring in everlasting
righteousness, and to seal up the vision and
prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.Dan 10:14 (KJV) Now I am come to make
thee understand what shall befall thy people
in the latter days: for yet the vision is for
many days.Dan 11:14 (KJV) And in those times
there shall many stand up against the king of
the south: also the robbers of thy people
shall exalt themselves to establish the
vision; but they shall fall.Dan 12:1 (KJV) And at that time shall
Michael stand up, the great prince which
standeth for the children of thy people: and
there shall be a time of trouble, such as
never was since there was a nation even to
that same time: and at that time thy people
shall be delivered, every one that shall be
found written in the book.Please excuse
the numerous references, but it is important for
the student of Scripture to be able to
distinguish between the Jews and the Church in
order to rightly divide the Word of Truth.
It should be clear now that Daniel 7:25 states
that Christians will be turned over to
Antichrist for three and one-half years during
the first half of the tribulation. The
Jews will be persecuted by Antichrist during the
second three and one-half years, which is called
the time of Jacob’s trouble.It would not be
proper to conclude this first section without
addressing the primary Scripture describing the
Main Harvest Rapture of the Church. The
following passage of Scripture is the most
detailed in regard to this phase of the rapture.
It picks up right after the sealing of the
144,000 Jews in preparation for the time of
Jacob’s trouble, which begins in the middle of
the tribulation period:Rev 7:9-17 (KJV) After this (i.e.,
after the sealing of the 144,000) I beheld,
and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could
number, of all nations, and kindreds, and
people, and tongues, stood before the throne,
and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes,
and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a
loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which
sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11
And all the angels stood round about the
throne, and about the elders and the four
beasts, and fell before the throne on their
faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen:
Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and
thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and
might, be unto our God for ever and ever.
Amen. 13 And one of the elders answered,
saying unto me, What are these which are
arrayed in white robes? and whence came they?
14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And
he said to me, These are they which came out
of great tribulation, and have washed their
robes, and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb. 15 Therefore are they before the throne
of God, and serve him day and night in his
temple: and he that sitteth on the throne
shall dwell among them. 16 They shall hunger
no more, neither thirst any more; neither
shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17
For the Lamb which is in the midst of the
throne shall feed them, and shall lead them
unto living fountains of waters: and God shall
wipe away all tears from their eyes.According to
Revelation 7:14 these “came out of great
tribulation” but they have now “washed their
robes.” Salvation in the evangelical sense is
referred to in the Bible as taking a bath but
not as washing defiled garments. In Revelation
3:4 the church of Sardis (i.e., Protestant
Christians) had defiled their garments, but they
washed their garments in the blood of the lamb
before the Main Harvest Rapture.Revelation
7:9-17 is clearly taking place in the middle of
the tribulation, and the judgments of Jews and
Gentiles do not take place until the end of the
tribulation. The sheep and goat judgment is the
judgment of the Gentiles and it takes place on
the earth and not in heaven, which is the
location of the events in this passage of
Scripture. The 144,000 Jews do not even preach
the gospel of the kingdom until the last half of
the tribulation.The description
of the saints in Rev. 7:15 as being before the
throne of God and serving him night and day in
his temple (i.e., priestly service) is a picture
of the Church and not Israel as a nation, nor a
group called the tribulation saints saved during
the tribulation period. The entire section of
Revelation 7:9-17 is a picture of a “great
multitude,” the churches of Thyatira, Sardis and
Laodicea, cleansed and sanctified by the blood
of the Lamb. They were already saved at the time
the tribulation began, but they had not yet
matured to the point of being ripe for harvest.Section II—The
Firstfruits Rapture in TypologyThe study of
typology is extremely helpful in understanding
prophecy by providing pictures that help the
student see more clearly the meaning of some of
the more obscure doctrinal statements.
This is also true in regard to the Firstfruits
Rapture. In addition to clear doctrinal
statements about the Firstfruits Rapture in the
New Testament, the Old Testament contains
teachings about the Firstfruits Rapture in types
such as Enoch and Elijah.Also in the New
Testament, Philip, the man who disappears with
the spirit (Acts 8:39), is a type of the
individual raptured as he was seeking the lost.
Elijah is a type of the individual raptured as
he was busy establishing the saints. Both were
about the Lord’s business exercising their gifts
in using the talents given them by the Holy
Spirit. Philip and Elijah were side by side with
saved individuals who were yet immature
believers, but only Philip and Elijah were taken
leaving the immature believers behind. These are
clear types of the Firstfruits Rapture of mature
believers.Elijah and ElishaThe primary Old
Testament type for the Firstfruits Rapture is
Elijah and Elisha walking along together when a
fiery chariot—a picture of judgment—separated
them and Elijah was taken up by a whirlwind into
heaven. It is important to note that Elisha
immediately rent (i.e., tore) his clothes, which
is a symbol of repentance. It is also highly
significant that Elisha refused to talk about
the coming rapture of his mentor, Elijah. This
is like a great majority of the Church today who
refuse to talk about the fulfillment of
prophecies and the soon-coming rapture. Thus,
they are failing
to watch for the return of Jesus, and
they will be left behind just like Elisha.The details of
Elijah’s translation contain very important
truths about which Christians will be taken and
which will be left at the Firstfruits Rapture.
In Elijah, we have a model of readiness for the
Lord’s return. Step by step he walked with
God: “the Lord hath sent me to Bethel”;
“the Lord hath sent me to Jericho”; “the Lord
hath sent me to Jordan” (2 Kings 2:2). In the
midst of apostasy, Elijah was creating nurseries
of devotion and study in the schools of the
prophets. He was boldly witnessing for God
without fear, and he was waiting for God without
fainting. Suddenly, in a moment of time, Elijah
was separated from Elisha, the fledgling
prophet, and he was carried into heaven by a
whirlwind. In the miracle of translation and the
holiness that made that miracle possible, Elijah
did more for the maturation of Elisha and the
sons of the prophets than he had done in his
whole life.It is important
to note that the Lord told Elijah to anoint
Elisha as his successor before Elijah was
raptured. When Elijah found Elisha, he was
plowing with twelve yoke of oxen. Thus, Elisha
was a very rich man, which is an indication of
where his heart was at the time of his
commission as a prophet. It is also significant
that the sons of the prophets at both Bethel and
Jericho attempted to talk to Elisha about the
coming rapture of Elijah, but Elisha said “Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace”
(2 Kings 2:3,5). Elisha is telling them not to
speak about it. Both of these facts about Elisha
give a picture of the Christian who will be left
behind at the Firstfruits Rapture. Numerous
Christians have spent their lives seeking after
wealth and material possessions instead of the
things of God. They are uncomfortable in
studying or talking about Bible prophecy, and
especially the soon return of our Lord Jesus
Christ.The refusal to
speak about the rapture is the norm in the
Church today. Christians do not want to hear
about Bible prophecy and the return of Jesus
Christ. Three and one-half years in great
tribulation will likely change this attitude
among the majority of Christians. The hot summer
sun will cause the wheat left for the main
harvest to die from the roots up, and the golden
pods of grain will mature rapidly. Numerous
Christians still have their roots sunk deeply
into the earth, and no pods of grain have yet
appeared. The fires of the tribulation will
mature those Christians who are still babes in
Christ, with the result that many will reign and
rule with Jesus Christ in His kingdom.When Elijah was
raptured, he and Elisha were walking along two
together when “there appeared a chariot of fire,
and horses of fire, and parted them both
asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into
heaven” ( 2 Kings 2:11). It is not coincidental
that the “evil servant” in the Olivet discourse
who was not interested in nor concerned about
the coming of the Lord was also “cut asunder” at
the time of the Lord’s return (Matt 24:50-51).
The following verses describe the difference
between watchful Christians and unwatchful
Christians at the time of the Firstfruits
Rapture. The unwatchful Christians do not want
to speak about the Firstfruits Rapture just like
Elisha did not want to speak about it:Mat 24:40-42 (KJV) Then shall two be in
the field; the one shall be taken, and the
other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at
the mill; the one shall be taken, and the
other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know
not what hour your Lord doth come.Mat 24:48 (KJV) But and if that evil
servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his
coming;It is important
to know that wheat dies from the roots upward as
it becomes mature. As the roots die, the heads
become ripe with grain (i.e., fruit) and bow as
though in prayer to the heavenly Father. The
tares remain stiffly erect, and they are easily
distinguished from the wheat. Scripture confirms
that harvest takes place when the grain is ripe
and not before according to the following
Scripture:Mark 4:29 (KJV) But when the fruit is
brought forth, immediately he putteth in the
sickle, because the harvest is come.The Scriptures
also confirm that Israel is not saved (i.e.,
harvested) until after the main harvest is over
as shown in the following Scripture:Jer 8:20 (KJV) The harvest is past, the
summer is ended, and we are not saved.Numerous
Scriptures compare the redemption of mankind to
the agricultural harvest in Israel established
and ordained by God as to the order and methods
of harvesting. Much can be learned from a study
of the type of the harvest.EnochEnoch is
another great type of the Firstfruits Rapture.
In the firstfruits feast called Pentecost, it
was celebrated by offering two wave-loaves of
bread baked with leaven as a firstfruits
offering to the Lord. The two loaves
symbolized both Jews and Gentiles who would make
up the Church. Therefore, Elijah is the type of
Jewish Firstfruits while Enoch is a type of the
Gentile Firstfruits who will be offered to the
Lord at the time of the Firstfruits Harvest of
the Church.A study of
Enoch reveals the characteristics of the
Christian Gentile who will be accounted worthy
to participate in the Firstfruits Rapture.
It is significant that we know absolutely none
of the physical facts of his life. There is not
one single outstanding event recorded in the
life of Enoch. He was raptured out of profound
obscurity into heaven. The following Scripture
says it best:James 2:5 (KJV) Hearken, my beloved
brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this
world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom
which he hath promised to them that love him?It is those who
are unimportant
in this life who will be the greatest
in the kingdom. Many of those
Christians who are in positions of power and
authority in the Church now are going to be
greatly disappointed in the coming kingdom. D.
M. Panton stated it this way, “The Church knows
nothing of her brightest stars, for she moves
beneath the range of their heavenly orbits.”Enoch’s one
testimony was that he preached about the Second
Coming of the Lord to execute judgment upon all
people (Jude 14-15). The only other recorded
characteristic of Enoch was that he walked with
God (Gen 5:22, 24), and this was recorded twice
for special emphasis by the Holy Spirit. Thus,
the type of Enoch is in agreement with the
numerous Scriptures that confirm that looking
for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is the
single most important factor to be accounted as
worthy of participation in the Firstfruits
Rapture. In many verses God admonishes the
faithful believer to watch. The constant
expectation of the Lord’s return is the
greatest incentive to ensure a close walk with
the Lord. It was true at the time of
Enoch, and it is true today. Thus, the
Firstfruits Rapture is peculiarly linked with
testimony to the Lord’s return.Enoch is listed
in the great hall of fame chapter on faith in
the book of Hebrews. The following Scripture
clearly states that Enoch was translated long
before the judgment of the flood because he
pleased God. It also confirms that his
translation was a reward for diligently seeking
the Lord:Heb 11:5-6 (KJV) By faith Enoch was
translated that he should not see death; and
was not found, because God had translated him:
for before his translation he had this
testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But
without faith it is impossible to please him:
for he that cometh to God must believe that he
is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him.Paul Striving for
the PrizeThis faith in
Hebrews chapter 11 is not the one point in time
saving faith that all Christians have when they
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, but it is the
daily living
faith that bears fruit for the kingdom
and earns an important position in the coming
millennial kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. Paul talks about this daily fellowship
faith of progressive sanctification. It is a
mature faith that will attain to a special
out-resurrection that Paul worked hard to
achieve, as stated in the following Scripture:Phil 3:7-14 (KJV) But what things were
gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss
for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ
Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the
loss of all things, and do count them but
dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in
him, not having mine own righteousness, which
is of the law, but that which is through the
faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of
God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the
power of his resurrection, and the fellowship
of his sufferings, being made conformable unto
his death; 11 If by any means I might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12
Not as though I had already attained, either
were already perfect: but I follow after, if
that I may apprehend that for which also I am
apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I
count not myself to have apprehended: but this
one thing I do, forgetting those things which
are behind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before, 14 I press toward the
mark for the prize of the high calling of God
in Christ Jesus.The Greek word
for “resurrection” in verse 11 above is the word
exanastasis and
it means out-resurrection or resurrection out
from among the dead. This is the only place in
the Bible this word is used. It is clearly a
resurrection that Paul was attempting to attain
by works. This is the Firstfruits Rapture that
will occur pretribulational, and all that
participate in this resurrection will have
crowns and sit on thrones as shown in Revelation
chapter 4. Verse 12 above confirms that the
requirement for this out-resurrection is to be
“perfect” which is a word in the King James
Version meaning mature in the faith.The Firstfruits
Rapture is more than an escape for saints from
the tribulation period. It is a guarantee of
great reward and entrance into the kingdom with
a position of authority in the reign and rule of
Jesus Christ. Thus, participation in the
Firstfruits Rapture is clearly related to works
and reward for faithful service to the Lord
Jesus Christ. Consequently, all Christians
should be striving for this goal in accordance
with the following Scripture, which is repeated
for emphasis:Luke 21:36 (KJV) Watch ye therefore,
and pray always, that ye may be accounted
worthy to escape all these things that shall
come to pass, and to stand before the Son of
man. Section III—The
Firstfruits Rapture-Rebuttal of CriticismsAll criticisms
of the doctrine of the Firstfruits Rapture stem
from a failure of theologians to distinguish
between the doctrines of grace and works or
between justification and sanctification, as
explained earlier. Therefore, the main criticism
of the Firstfruits Rapture is that Christians
who hold this view are guilty of legalism or
Galatianism, which is a mingling of works and
grace to accomplish salvation. This criticism is
completely unjustified, since Galatianism adds
works to grace for the purpose of spiritual
rebirth or the legal term for spirit salvation,
which is called justification.The Firstfruits
Rapture is not related to the justification of
the believer, but it is related to the progressive sanctification of
the believer. Attainment of spiritual maturity
is not a prerequisite for or direct result of
spiritual rebirth. Failure to attain to the
Firstfruits Rapture does not affect the fact of
spiritual rebirth in any way. Consequently, it
is unjustified and even absurd to think that the
Firstfruits Rapture is a legalistic doctrine. It
is simply a reward for faithful service in the
Lord’s work. Numerous Christians will lose their
reward, but they can not lose their salvation,
since it is a gift from God, and not related to
works in any form or fashion.Salvation is by
grace, but rewards are according to works. This
is a fundamental division in the Bible, since
works have nothing to do with spirit salvation.
It is only by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
that a person is saved. However, after an
individual is born again, he is admonished to
walk, seek, strive, follow, obey, serve, labor,
learn, do, etc. to earn reward.The Firstfruits
Rapture also should not be explained as the
reward of resurrection, since all
believers—unbelievers too for that matter—will
experience resurrection. The fact of
resurrection before the millennium is for all
believers, and no one will be left behind in
their graves. Thus, the fact of resurrection is
directly related to grace and the salvation
experience. However, the timing of resurrection
is definitely related to works and progressive
sanctification. As stated above, Paul was
working very hard in order to attain unto the
out-resurrection.All Christians
will be raptured in either the Firstfruits
Rapture or the Main Harvest Rapture. The
Firstfruits Rapture will take only those
Christians who are mature in the faith. The Main
Harvest Rapture will include numerous Christians
who have matured during the tribulation, but it
will include all Christians whether they are
mature or not.Another common
criticism is that the phased rapture rends or
divides the body of Christ, which is the Church.
If this criticism is valid, then the Church is
already in deep trouble, since the Head has been
severed, and He is currently in heaven. In
addition, the body has already been divided
since more than half of the body of Christ is
already in heaven with the Head while the
remainder of the Church is still on the earth.
It only takes a moment of reflection and common
sense to see the shallowness of this criticism.
The Firstfruits Rapture does not divide the
Church any more than the fact that the Head is
currently in heaven along with the great
majority of the Church. The fact that some of
the Church will receive their resurrection
bodies sooner than others is also applicable in
this argument, since the Head already has His
resurrection body.The Church is a
unit and will not be divided. However, God the
Father uniquely works in the life of every
Christian to bring them to maturity in the
faith. Some mature earlier than others, and
unfortunately, some never mature in this life.
Therefore, the doctrine of reward assures that
faithful Christians will be richly recognized
for their efforts to cooperate in the
sanctification process. Many Christians’ lives
will have been a total waste when they arrive in
heaven, and they will have earned no rewards,
which pertain to a position in the kingdom of
God the Son. Other Christians will receive rich
rewards for the lives they have lived, and they
will have important positions in the kingdom of
God the Son.Christians are
left on earth after salvation so that they might
grow and follow the example of Jesus Christ.
Christians are to serve now so that they might
reign later (Matt 25:21; John 12:26). All
Christians are members of God’s heavenly family,
and all will be present in the kingdom of God
the Son. Unfortunately, numerous Christians will
be subject to an enforced sanctification process
at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and they will be
saved according to the following Scripture:1 Cor 3:11-15 (KJV) For other
foundation can no man lay than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build
upon this foundation gold, silver, precious
stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s
work shall be made manifest: for the day shall
declare it, because it shall be revealed by
fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work
of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide
which he hath built thereupon, he shall
receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall
be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he
himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.After this
enforced sanctification, the lives,
personalities and character of these Christians
will be totally different, since they will then
be perfect. Their lives (i.e., souls) will have
been lost in the judgment fires of the Judgment
Seat of Christ. In their new lives,
personalities and character, they will be
greatly ashamed for their failures to live
faithful lives while on the earth, and there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is a
common belief that these Christians will
experience this shame intermittently throughout
the millennium. At the end of the millennium
when Jesus turns the kingdom back over to God
the Father, all shame and tears will be wiped
away as all Christians enter into the eternal
bliss of a sinless perfect life with Jesus
Christ in the New Jerusalem. The Jews and
Gentiles will dwell forever on the restored and
perfected earth in their bodies of flesh and
blood. The sin nature and death will be
completely obliterated at the end of the
millennium.An
understanding of the Firstfruits Rapture will
explain passages of Scripture that are typically
avoided by both pretribulation rapturists and
midtribulation rapturists. The Firstfruits
Rapture also reconciles the arguments between
these two opposing camps of prophetic scholars.Both groups are
correct in that there is both a pretribulation
and a midtribulation rapture. It will be a great
honor to be part of the pretribulational
Firstfruits Rapture. For those faithful
Christians whom the Lord finds watching, He has
promised an “open door.”